Seal-lock.



L. J. BAIRD & C. G. LAY.

SEAL LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEQh 191s.

Patentd June 11, 1918.

HIH

TTED

LEON J'. BAIBD AND CHARLES G. LAY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

SEAL-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 191%.

Application filed. June 27, 1916. Serial No. 106,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEON J. BAIRD and CHARLES LAY, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Elmira, county of Chemung, State of NewYork, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeal-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a seal lock and more particularly to such alock adapted for sealing freight cars.

The objects of the invention are to provide a lock which is held inlocked position by means of a seal and can be opened only by destroyingthe seal by the key actuated means; to provide a substantial lock whichwill indicate if it has been tampered with or opened, and one which canbe manufactured at a very small cost.

These and other features of the invention will be described inconnection with the drawings and pointed out in the appended claims. 1

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 isa sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig.4; i

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a detail taken on the line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a detail taken on the line 88 of Fig. 4.

The device consists of a lock which is adapted to be permanentlyattached to a car door by any suitable means and to be held in lockedposition by a seal which is inserted in the look before itis closed andwhen the device is used on freight cars is supplied to the variousrailroad stations preferably inscribed with the name of the station or asuitable number. In order to open the lock it is necessary to crush orbreak the seal. Hence an examination of the lock will immediatelyindicate whether the same has been opened or tampered with.

The seal lock comprises a casing A, the top ofwhich is formed with twoapertures 10 and 11 through which the legs 12 and 13 of a shackle 141are adapted to extend.

The two legs of the shackle are of different lengths, the leg 12 beingshorter than the leg 13, and adapted to project only a short distanceinto the casing. The other leg 13 which is the longer leg is slidinglyand rotatably mounted within the casing. By means of this mounting theshackle 14; may be slidingly moved toward and away from the casing. Thusthe shackle may be manipulated to pull it away from the position shownin Fig. 4 so thatthe end of the short leg 12 will be outside of the topof the casing and then the entire shackle may be rotated about the longleg as a pivot to a position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.This is the unlocked or open position of the device. The top and bottomof the casing are formed with substantially elliptical openings 15 and16 of such dimensions that a seal. 57 may be passed through the same. Asclearly shown in the drawings these openings 15 and 16 are locatedadjacent the long leg of the shackle. A disk 17 is mounted on the longleg of the shackle and within the casing and non-rotatively andslidingly connected to the said leg in any suitable manner, as by meansof the flat side indicated at 18. The leg 13 may slide relative to thedisk, but the disk is held against all but rotative movement by means ofthe guides or fingers 19 fastened to the casing. The disk is formed withan aperture 20 of the same dimensions as the aperture 15 and is so located on the long leg of the shackle that when the shackleis in open orunlocked position the aperture 20 will register with the said opening15, so that a seal may be inserted through the two openings. When thelock' is in closed or locked position, however, the disk 17 will berotated by the closing movement of the shackle 14 so that the aperture15 will be closed by the same, thereby eifectively preventing anytampering with the interior parts of the lock. At the end of the longleg 13 and within the casing a sleeve 21 is connected to the same in amanner similar to the disk 17 and this sleeve carries at its lower end aflange or disk 22 similar to the disk 17. The disk 22 is formed with anopening 23 of substantially the same dimensions as the opening 16 andthe sleeve is slidingly and nonrotatively connected to the long leg 13so that when the shackle is in open or unlocked position the openings 23and 16 register with each other, so that any seal that may be within thelock may drop through said registered openings. lVhen the shackle 14. isin locked or closed position, however, the opening 16 is closed by theflange or disk 22 and the opening .23 is out of register with theopening 16 and of course closed by the bottom of the casing proper. Thesleeve 21 is connected to the leg 13 in any suitable manner as by meansof a flattened side 24: on the leg and a corresponding flat surface onthe sleeve.

A hollow cylindrical member 25 is adapted to be arranged within thecasing in a transverse direction with respect to the length of the leg13. At one end this cylindrical member abuts against the side of thecasing, while at the other end it is cut away as at 26 and the flap thusformed may be bent against the front of the casing as at 27 to form asupport for-a sleeve 28 and at the same time hold the cylindrical.member in position. The cylindrical member may be attached to the casingin any suitable manner, as by means of strips 29 and 30 fastened to thecasing and to the cylindrical member. The alined apertures'31 and 32 areformed in the cylindrical member and are arranged so that a sealinserted through the opening in the top of the casing will pass downwardthrough the said openings 31 and 32 in the cylindrical member. Betweenthe top opening 31 and the top of the casing a guide 33 is inserted ofdimensions such that a seal may pass downward through the same. Thisguide is cut away at the top as at 34; and is formed with a longitudinalslot 35 substantially parallel with the long leg 13. A deflector 36 isrigidly fastened to the long leg in any suitable manner so that it willoccupy a position. as shown in Fig. 1 when the lock is in closedposition. lVhen the lock is in open position with the shackle withdrawnthe deflector will be in contact with the disk 17 and turned about theleg 13 to a position substantially at an an angle of 90 with respect tothe position shown in 7. When a seal is inserted through the opening 15with the shackle in the open position it will pass into the guide 33;then when the shackle is rotated to bring the short leg 12 into positionto he passed through the opening 10 the deflector 36 will be rotatedalso through the opening 34 on the guide 33 into position to passdownward through said guide, and when the shackle is pushed downward ortoward the casing the said deflector 36 will move downward through theguide 33 pushing the seaLahead of it. A similar guide 37 is mountedbetween the lower side of the cylindrical member and. the bottom of thecasing and in alinement with the openings 32 and 16 so that the sealwill be guided downward into position to pass through the opening 16.\Vithin the cylindrical member are mounted two plungers or slidablemembers 38 and 39. The member 38 is provided with a roller 40 and itsmovement in a direction away from the leg 13 is limited by any suitablemeans, such as an abutment 411 on the cylindrical member. A boss 12 isformed on the rear wall of the casing and the front wall is formed witha circular opening 43 through which is adapted to be inserted the sleeve28. This sleeve is of such length that one end abuts the face of theboss 412 and the other end lies flush with the outside surface of thefront of the casing. A pin 4A having a square end 4-5 is rigidly mountedwithin the sleeve 28 with one end projecting into a bearing recess 16formed in the boss 42 and with the other end lying just within andprotected by the end of the sleeve 28. A key is adapted to be in sertedwithin the end of the sleeve 28 and to take over the end of the pin 4-4whereby the sleeve 28 may be rotated when the key is turned. Two spacedapart spiders 4.7 are rigidly mounted on the sleeve 28 and each of thesespiders is shown as being formed with three arms. A pin -18 is mountedin each of the corresponding arms of the spiders and each pin carries aroller 19. The

dimensions of the spider and the location of these rollers 19 is suchthat when the spiders are rotated by means of the key they will actagainst the roller 10 to move the slidable member or plunger 38 to theright, as shown in Fig. 1.

Within the slida ble member or plunger 39 and carried by the long leg 13is a sleeve 50 which is formed with a cam 51 of substantially circularoutline but having a slabbed off or flat portion 52. adapted to contactwith the flat surface of the head of the slidable member 39. This sleeve50 is connected to the long leg 13 by means of a pin 60 project ing fromthe said leg and into a helicallyshaped slot 53. By means of this pinand slot connection when the shackle 14 is moved outwardly from thecasing the cam 51 will be rotated, and of course when the shackle 14itself is rotated the said cam 51 will also move with it. Thearrangement of the flat surface 52 and the plunger or slidable members38 and 39 is such that when the shackle 1 1 is in closed or lockedposition the flat surface 52 contacts with. the flat surface of the headof the slidable member 39 and the heads of the plungers or slidablemembers 38 and 39 are spaced apart just sufficiently to tightly andsnugly receive therebetween a seal 57 It will be apparent that when sucha seal is located between the two plungers that sliding movement of themember 39 will be prevented. and consequently shackle 1 1 cannot bepulled outward or to open position because the flat surface 52 looks thesaid shackle against such sliding movement.

The seals 57 are made from two concaved disks 54 and 55 of sheetmaterial, and these disks are fastened together by any suitable means sothat the edges are in abutting relation. The material and formation ofthe seals are such that the seal will have sufficient strength to resistthe force exerted on the same by any outward pull that may be exerted onthe shackle 14, but may be crushed or broken by turning the key whichwill move the plunger 38 to crush or break the same.

In the operation of the device with the shackle 14 in the dotted or openposition shown in Fig. 1, a seal is inserted through the openings 15 and20 and into the guide 33. The shackle 14 is then rotated which willbring the deflector 36 into register with the guide 33. The shackle 14is then pushed inward the deflector 36 thus acting on the seal to pushit downward and between the two plungers 38 and 39. The fit of the sealbetween these two plungers is sufliciently tight so that the seal willbe held frictionally in position between the two thus the lock is heldin closed or locked position. In order to open the same it is necessaryto crush or break or destroy the seal 57 by turning the spiders 47 sothat a roller 49 will act to move the plunger 38 toward the plunger 39.When the seal is crushed or broken by this key actuated means theshackle 14 may be opened, and the seal 57 will drop downward into theguide 37. When the shackle is moved into the dotted line position ofFig. 1 the openings 16 and 23 will be in register and the said broken orcrushed seal may be discharged through the same.

Thus it will be apparent that a seal lock is provided in which the sealwhen inserted in the same prevents the lock from being opened and thatin order to open the look by the key actuated means it is necessary tocrush or break or destroy the seal Consequently if the lock has beentampered with or opened it will be immediately apparent on examination,because if tampered with or opened there will be no seal discharged fromthe lock or a mutilated one will be found within the same.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

l. A seal lock comprising a casing, alined openings in the top andbottom adapted to receive and discharge a seal, a shackle having legs ofunequal length, the long leg extending through the top and pivotally andslidingly mounted within said casing, a cylindrical member fastenedinthe casing, two opposed plungers slidable in said member, openings inthecylinder member walls in line with the openings in the top and bottom ofthe casing, a fixed abutment limiting movement of one of the plungers inone direction, key actuated means adapted from the abutment and towardthe other plunger, a sleeve mounted on the said long leg of the shackleand having a Hat sided cam adapted to form 'an abutment for the otherplunger to holdit in spaced relation to the first mentioned plunger, thesaid openings and space between the plungers adapted to receive a diskseal, said sleeve and leg being connected by a pin and cooperatinghelical groove, the parts being arranged so that a seal between the twoplungers prevents outward or unlocking movement of the long leg of theshackle.

2. A seal lock comprising a casing, a shackle having a long and a shortleg, the short leg adapted to be inserted in an opening in the top ofthe casing, the long leg pivotally and slidably mounted in the casing, amember adapted to be moved by the sliding movement of the long leg inone direction, and means in the casing to receive a destructible seal inposition to prevent the movement of said member and thereby the long legof the shackle.

3. A seal lock comprising a casing, a shackle having a leg slidablymounted in the casing so that the shackle may be moved inwardly andoutwardly with respect to the casing, a member within the casing meansfor moving said member actuated when the shackle is pulled outwardlywith respect to the casing, and means in the casing to re ceive adestructible seal in position to prevent the movement of said member.

4. A seal lock comprising a casing, a shackle mounted in the casing forsliding movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to the casing, amember within the casing, means for moving said member actuated when theshackle is pulled outwardly, means in. the casing to receive adestructible seal in position to prevent the movement of said member,and key actuated means for destroying the seal to thereby free theshackle.

5. A seal lock comprising a casing, a member within the casing, amovably mounted shackle, means for. moving said member actuated byoutward movement of the shackle, a second member spaced from the firstmember and having limited movement in the direction away from the firstmember, means for inserting a destructible seal between said members andkey actuated means for destroying the seal to thereby free the shackle.

6. A. seal lock comprising a casing, a member within the casing, amovably mounted shackle, means for moving said, member actuated byoutward movement of the shackle, a second member spaced from the firstmember and having limited movement in the direction away from the firstmember, means for inserting a destructible seal between said members andkey actuated means for moving one member toward the other to destroy theseal and thereby free the shackle.

7. A seal look comprising a casing, a movably mounted shackle, a membermounted in the casing for sliding movement at an angle to the movementof the shackle, means for moving said member actuated by out- Wardmovement of the shackle, and means Within the casing to receive adestructible seal in position to prevent the movement of said member;

8. A seal lock having means to receive a destructible seal to preventopening of the lock, and key actuated means Within the casing fordestroying the seal to thereby free the lock.

9. A seal lock comprising a casing, a movably mounted shackle, a memberslidingly mounted in the casing, means connecting said shackle andmember whereby outward movement of the shackle slides the member in onedirection and means Within the easing to receive a destructible seal inposition to prevent movement of said member.

10. A seal lockcomprising a casing, a movably mounted shackle, a memberslidingly mounted in the casing, cam means connecting said shackle andmember Whereby outward movement of the shackle slides the member in onedirection and means Within the casing to receive a destructible seal inposition to prevent movement of said member. I

11. A seal lock comprising a casing formed With an opening for theinsertion of a destructible seal and having means therein to receivesaid seal, means actuated by closing the lock for closing said opening,and means also actuated by closing the lock for positively moving a sealinto operative position in the first mentioned means.

In testimony whereof We ailix our signatures.

LEON J. BAIRD. CHARLES G. LAY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

